Into the 21st Century…

Several months ago I found myself looking out the 7^th floor window that partially surrounds my office cubicle. It’s early morning, around 8am and I’m enjoying a cup of Dunkin’ Donut coffee with a touch of French vanilla flavoring and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I feel the warmth against my nose as I take a second sip. Down below, at ground level, I see a fellow employee, crossing the driveway on his way into the building. Ron is in his sixties, tall with white hair. As I watch him I wonder if he has a weeks worth of clothes in his closet like those he is wearing. “He must.” I think, “because he wears the same outfit every day!” Navy blue jacket, light blue long sleeved shirt, red tie and light grey pants. It’s the same every day. Winter, summer, spring and fall. He arrives exactly at the same time and leaves at the same time too. Like clockwork. On a recent business trip we shared, I asked Ron if he ever works without his tie. (After all, business casual has been the norm for years now.) Nope. He even tells a story that while at a conference he attended they announced that any attendees to the social hour that evening wearing a tie would have it cut off. Just before they broke for that days session they reminded everyone about the social and the president of the organization announced that no ties were required…except for Ron’s. Seems Ron spoke to him after the first announcement about how he never has his tie off and got his point across.

Listening to Ron talk about his career in the telecommunications industry is like reading a book of its entire history. I half expected him to tell me he was in the room when Alexander Graham Bell spoke those immortal words. Suffice it to say that Ron is an expert in all things regulatory within the industry. He has been instrumental in creating the laws passed by the FCC in regulating the Bells. He has been in negotiations with all the Regional Bells to establish purchasing agreements between his company (MCI at the moment) and the Bells. He know their tricks and their misdeeds.

I, on the other hand, have often been frustrated in trying to get Ron to explain how the Bells build telecommunications networks, what the piece parts are, how they are sold and what we can buy. Like Heinz, there’s 57 varieties! My frustration is partly the result of Ron’s wealth of knowledge and my lack of it! But Ron is a pleasant man. Friendly and always willing to answer your questions…no matter how often you return to ask it again. But Ron is what some may describe as a dinosaur in terms of using modern technology in the course of doing ones work. No, he’s not using an old IBM electric typewriter that’s for sure and he is competent in Excel although only a two finger typist! But a cell phone? Nope. A PDA? Nope. A wireless modem? Nope. A pencil? Yes! A pad of paper? Yes!

Heck, if Ron works from home, which is EXTREMELY RARE, his wife answers. If he’s on a conference call from home and he has to send a file, he hangs up because he only has one phone line!

Recently our boss was responsible for pulling together important information about purchasing local access loops in the State of Florida and he really needed to talk to Ron on a regular basis, being the Access guru that he is! With pressure mounting and upper management to report to our boss got extremely frustrated in trying to coordinate with Ron. In utter frustration, he called his secretary and said, “I have five things I want you to do today. All other things are second priority. First, order Ron a blackberry, a wireless modem for his laptop, a cell phone, open up an Instant Messenger account for him and get him set up on all four systems! Let everyone know this is a high priority!” Well the next day Ron is in his office with boxes stacked every which was, some opened, some still taped up. By the end of the second day Ron was loaded with the latest high technology communications gadget. Our boss was never going to NOT REACH RON AGAIN!

A week later while we were all working together in a meeting when I notice Ron reach down and pull out a blackberry. I’m shocked! He’s adeptly flipping through his emails, reading the most recent communications. Our boss says, “So Ron, how do you like all the new toys you have?” “It has changed my #!*& life forever!” We all laughed.

Several weeks have now passed. I walk over to the coffee pot centrally located on our floor. I pass by Ron’s office and noticed the door closed, the lights out. He should have been in by now! I get back to my desk to see that Ron is on Instant Messenger so I know he’s working. But not at the office? He didn’t come in today? Hope everything is all right. When our secretary arrives I ask her about Ron’s absence. “Oh.” She says, “He hasn’t been in much since we bought him all those toys!” I started laughing! “Ya. He just loves the ability to work from home now.” Living and driving in Atlanta, I totally understand.

And just recently, I was working from home and on a conference call with Ron and our boss. I asked him how he likes all those new devices. He loves them. He works from home a lot now. But I just had to ask…”Say Ron, you wearing a tie right now?” “Nope. A tee shirt and shorts!” We all got a great laugh out of that! “Welcome to the 21^st Century, Ron!”

“Thanks!”